Fortunearia sinensis Rehd. & Wils.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Fortunearia sinensis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/fortunearia/fortunearia-sinensis/). Accessed 2024-04-18.

Genus

Fortunearia

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

apex: (pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
bisexual: See hermaphrodite.
glabrous: Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
midrib: midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
monoecious: With male and female flowers on the same plant.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Fortunearia sinensis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/fortunearia/fortunearia-sinensis/). Accessed 2024-04-18.

Fortunearia sinensis is mainly cultivated for its attractive foliage. The generic name honours the famous Scottish plant collector Robert Fortune. Meise Botanical Garden (19951014–54), Belgium. 16 October 2008. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

A monoecious, deciduous shrub of strong spreading growth, ultimately 20 to 25 ft high; young shoots, leaf-stalks and flower-stalks covered with starry down. Leaves obovate, tapered more abruptly towards the apex than the often rounded or slightly heart-shaped base, unevenly toothed, 3 to 6 in. long, about half as much wide, dullish green and glabrous above, downy on the midrib and veins beneath; stalk 1⁄8 to 1⁄3 in. long. Flowers green, borne in terminal racemes either entirely male or entirely bisexual; the former are catkin-like, up to 3⁄4 in. long, with the small flowers very densely packed; the latter are 1 to 2 in. long with flowers 1⁄6 in. across. Capsules 1⁄2 in. long.

Native of W. China; discovered and introduced by Wilson to the Arnold Arboretum in 1907, thence to Kew in 1910, where it is very hardy and vigorous. Apart from its botanical interest there is little to recommend it. The flowers, which at Kew appear in February, are inconspicuous, and as regards foliage it has about the same ornamental value as the hazel.

Fortunearia sinensis, a species of botanical interest only, is a deciduous shrub of strong spreading growth. Von Gimborn Arboretum (OW 1989RD00022), Doorn, The Netherlands. 12 September 2015. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

The inflorescence of Fortunearia sinensis covered in starry down. The left inflorescence displays both male and female flowers, whereas the middle inflorescence is entirely male. Image Francisco Garin.

The female inflorescence of Fortunearia sinensis displaying pink stigmas. Image Francisco Garin.

Foliage of Fortunearia sinensis is dullish green and glabrous above, downy on the midrib and veins beneath. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Aia, Spain. 15 July 2020. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

Flowers of Fortunearia sinensis give way to brown woody capsules fruits. Iturraran Botanical Garden, Aia, Spain. 15 July 2020. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

Fruits of Fortunearia sinensis are lenticellate woody capsules. Meise Botanical Garden (19951014–54), Belgium. 29 April 2012. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

Foliage on Fortunearia sinensis, taken from a plant at Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium (7 September 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Leaves on Fortunearia sinensis, with the lamina elliptic to obovate, and compaired to Sinowilsonia henryi often +/- coarsely dentate at margin and with a thickened petiole (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium – 7 September 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Rather irregular coarsely dentate lamina margin on Fortunearia sinensis (Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium – 7 September 2012). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

The spring flowers of Fortunearia sinensis have only modest ornamental qualities. This raceme is entirely bisexual. Meise Botanical Garden (19951014–54), Belgium. 29 April 2023. Image Guillaume Mamdy.

The red anthers of Fortunearia sinensis give the early flowers their colour. Meise Botanical Garden (19951014–54), Belgium. 29 April 2023. Image Guillaume Mamdy.